Tobacco-frame



(No Model.)

J. s. FORD *au G. P. WESTERN-BLD.

TOBACCO FRAME.

No. 507,797. Patented 001;. '31, 1893.

f vNITED STATE-s JESSE S. FORD AND CHARLES F. WESTERFIELD, OF WESTERFIELD, KENTUCKY.

TOBACCO-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,797, dated October 3'1, 1893. Application tiled March 2, 1893. Serial No. 464,298. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JEssE- S. FORD and CHARLES F. WESTEREIELD, both residents of Westertield, in the county of Ohio and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Frames; and we do hereby declare-that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

Our invention relates to improvements in tobacco frames adapted to be secured to the running gear of an ordinary farm Wagon and upon which the tobacco sticks carrying the tobacco gathered in the eld are hung, whereby they may be transported to the curing or packing'house.

In harvesting tobacco, the parties engaged in gathering the same carry what is known as a tobacco stick upon which the plants are hung. When the sticks become full, they are carried to the curing house and suspended therein for a sufficient length of time to insure of the tobacco beinginl proper condition for the market. In this manner of gathering tobacco, the gatherers are compelled to carry the sticks from the field to the curing house, as it would crush, bruise, and otherwise injure the tobacco, if conveyed in a Wagon or other vehicle, thus entailing a great lossv in time and labor. By our invention, this loss is obviated as the lled sticks can be suspended from the frame, and readily conveyed from the field Without injury.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure] is a perspective View of a tobacco frame, constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, showing the frame applied to the running gear of a wagon.

In the said drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes the wheels, 2 the front axle, 3 the rear axle, 4 the hounds, and5 the reach, Which'may be of any ordinary construction.

The numeral 6 designates a longitudinal bar, having near its rear end a transverse bar 7, provided on its under side with two parallel strips 8. This bar 7, rests upon the sand board 9, the strips 8 engaging with the front and rear sides thereof. At its front end, the bar 6 is provided with a bolster 10, having a central groove or recess in which the said bar rests. with the front axle and bar 6, by means of a king bolt 12 passing through holes therein, the hole in the bolster being enlarged or made oblong so as to allow of the bolt playing therein.

At suitable distances apart, the bar 6 is provided with a number of standards 13, arranged in pairs and connected together at their upper ends by means of plates 14. Se-

cured to these plates are transverse bars 15,

provided with a central strip 16 extending from end to end thereof, and upon each side of said strip is formed a series of holes 17, to receive the pegs or pins 18.

The operation is as follows: The bed or body and front bolster of an ordinary Wagon are removed and the frame applied thereto, the bar 7 resting upon the sand board and prevented from moving longitudinally thereon by means of the strips 8. The bolster 10, with the front end of bar 6 resting in the central recess therein is then connected with the axle, by means of the king bolt, the oblong hole in the bolster admitting of a slight play of the latter to avoid injury when running over uneven or rough ground. The wagon with the frame can now be drawn over the field following in thewake of the gatherers, who as before stated, are provided with tobacco sticks upon which to hang the tobacco. When these sticks become full they are placed with their ends' resting upon the transverse bars 15, and abutting against the strips 16. When a sufficient number of sticks have been. placed upon the frame, they are held in place by the pins or pegs 18, which press against the outer sticks of each row. By means of the series of holes in said bars, the pegs or pins may be moved nearer to or farther from the center of the frame, according to the number of sticks in each row. This will be found especially advantageous in working on a hill side, as the sticks can be This bolster is connectedv IOO placed on the upside of the wagon, thus tend ing to prevent the same from ufpsettin'g.`

readily removed, thus avoiding the loss inl time and labor incident to the gatherers car rying the sticks to and from the ield tothe curing house as is now generally the case.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim isl. A tobacco frame adapted to be secured to the runninggear of a wagon consisting of the longitudinal bar, the series of standards secured thereto at suitabledistances apart, the transverse bars secured to the upper ends of "said "standards provided witha central 'stripyand provided with a seriesof `*'hol'eson each side of said strip `to receive the removable pegs or pins, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the running gear `of `a wagon, of the longitudinal bar near its rear end provided with the parallel strips engaging with the sand board, the bolster having an oblong hole and a recess and the king bolt, ofP the upwardly projecting standards provided with transverse barsformed with a series of holes to receive the removable pegs or pins, and the central strip secured to said barsand extending from end to end thereof, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereunto affixed our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JESSE S. FORD. CHARLES F. VESTERFIELD.

Witnesses:

T. J. SMITH, 1JOHN T. MOORE. 

